Crespo et al. (2023) have recently described a new genus and species called Europotamogale melkarti, purportedly an afrosoricid ‘tourist genus’ coming from central Africa to Spain during the ...Pliocene. The occurrence of this mysterious animal has been justified by means of a migration of thousands of kilometers leaving no other fossil evidence all along such an incredible journey. According to our analyses, this ‘tourist genus’ is surrounded by many inconsistent facts, which lead us to the conclusion that Europotamogale should not have been erected as a new taxon because its holotype (and only element yet known) belongs to a very different animal. We alternatively propose that this fossil is indeed a fragment of a tooth of a water-mole of the genus Archaeodesmana, which is a much more parsimonious hypothesis.
The Eocene was the warmest epoch of the Cenozoic and recorded the appearance of several orders of modern mammals, including the first occurrence of Euprimates. During the Eocene, Euprimates were ...mainly represented by two groups, adapiforms and omomyiforms, which reached great abundance and diversity in the Northern Hemisphere. Despite this relative abundance, the record of early Eocene primates from the European continent is still scarce and poorly known, preventing the observation of clear morphological trends in the evolution of the group and the establishment of phylogenetic relationships among different lineages. However, knowledge about the early Eocene primates from the Iberian Peninsula has been recently increased through the description of new material of the genus
from several fossil sites from Northeastern Spain.
Here we present the first detailed study of the euprimate material from the locality of Masia de l'Hereuet (early Eocene, NE Spain). The described remains consist of one fragment of mandible and 15 isolated teeth. This work provides detailed descriptions, accurate measurements, high-resolution figures and thorough comparisons with other species of
as well with other Eurasian notharctids. Furthermore, the position of the different species of
has been tested with two phylogenetic analyses.
The new material from Masia de l'Hereuet shows several traits that were previously unknown for the genus
such as the morphology of the upper and lower fourth deciduous premolars and the P
, and the unfused mandible. Moreover, this material clearly differs from the other described species of
,
and
, thus allowing the erection of the new species
. The phylogenetic analyses place the three species of
in a single clade, in which
is the most primitive species of this genus.
The morphology of the upper molars reinforces the distinction of
from other notharctids like
. The analysis of the three described species of the genus,
and
, reveals a progressive change in several morphological traits such as the number of roots and the position of the P
and P
, the molarization of the P
, the reduction of the paraconid on the lower molars and the displacement of the mental foramina. These gradual modifications allow for the interpretation that these three species, described from the early Eocene of the Iberian Peninsula, are part of a single evolutionary lineage. The stratigraphical position of Masia de l'Hereuet and Casa Retjo-1 (type locality of
) and the phylogenetic analyses developed in this work support this hypothesis.
This paper provides a revised and updated description and identification of the rodents from Santpedor-2 (northeastern Spain). The age of this locality is particularly relevant, because it is one of ...the few European sites assigned to the early Oligocene that has yielded primate remains. However, the rodent assemblage from this site has never been described in detail, and therefore the Oligocene age of this locality remained tentative. Despite the scarcity of the material, the rodents from Santpedor-2 are characteristic enough either to be identified as already known species, or at least compared with close species. Eight different rodent taxa were recognized. Among them, the theridomyid Ectropomys exiguus, which is recorded only in late Eocene localities, and the glirid Glamys devoogdi, which is known in both latest Eocene and early Oligocene localities. The other taxa are found only in Oligocene localities, and consist of the theridomyid Paratheridomys margaritae and members of two families that arrived in Europe at the beginning of the Oligocene: eomyids (Eomys sp.) and cricetids (Eucricetodon atavus, cf. Heterocricetodon sp., cf. Pseudocricetodon sp.). Finally, another theridomyid (Issiodoromyinae) seems to correspond to a new species and new genus, the main features of which correspond to early Oligocene evolutionary grades. This rodent assemblage from Santpedor-2 is assigned to the early Oligocene, mainly on the basis of the presence of immigrant rodents that reached Europe in relation with the Grande Coupure (cricetids and eomyids). This dating is notably supported by the presence of P. margaritae together with Glamys devoogdi, both being found in Hoogbutsel (early Rupelian, MP21). Only one rodent (E. exiguus) represents an Eocene relict, as is the case of Pseudoloris, the only primate recorded in this locality. Therefore, this study supports the Oligocene age of Santpedor-2 and then the persistence of omomyid primates in the Iberian Peninsula (at least locally) after the Grande Coupure.
We describe the first known navicular bones for an Eocene euprimate from Europe and assess their implications for early patterns of locomotor evolution in primates. Recovered from the fossil site of ...Sant Jaume de Frontanyà-3C (Barcelona, Spain), the naviculars are attributed to Anchomomys frontanyensis. The small size of A. frontanyensis allows us to consider behavioral implications of comparisons with omomyiforms, regardless of allometric sources of navicular variation. Researchers usually consider omomyiforms to be more prone to leaping than contemporaneous adapiforms partly because of the more pronounced elongation of omomyiform tarsal elements. However, A. frontanyensis differs from other adapiforms and is similar to some omomyiforms in its more elongated navicular proportions. Although this might raise questions about attribution of these naviculars to A. frontanyensis, the elements exhibit clear strepsirrhine affinities leaving little doubt about the attribution: the bones' mesocuneiform facets contact their cuboid facets. We further propose that this strepsirrhine-specific feature in A. frontanyensis and other adapiforms reflects use of more inverted foot postures and potentially smaller substrates than sympatric omomyiforms that lack it. Thus substrate differences may have influenced niche partitioning in Eocene euprimate communities along with differences in locomotor agility. As previous studies on the astragalus and the calcaneus have suggested, this study on the navicular is consistent with the hypothesis that the locomotor mode of A. frontanyensis was similar to that of extant cheirogaleids, especially species of Microcebus and Mirza.
Desmaninae (water-moles) are common elements in the late Miocene–Pleistocene mammal assemblages from Europe, but knowledge about this group is still scarce. Here we present the desmanines from ...several early Pliocene localities of the Granada Basin, southern Spain. The species Desmana marci, sp. nov. is described from the sites Calicasas-3 and 4A, characterized, among other traits, by its slightly molarized p4, enormous P2, strongly molarized P3 and P4, and very large metaconule in the M3. Desmana marci shows a typical Desmana i1, with the enamel extending further down anteriorly than posteriorly, but an Archaeodesmana-like I1, low-crowned and bilobed. Desmana marci is proposed as the oldest species of Desmana; its origin lies in Archaeodesmana baetica, and it is in turn interpreted as the ancestor of Desmana verestchagini. Besides, a desmanine of small size and ascribed to Archaeodesmana cf. getica is identified in Calicasas-5A and Purcal-13. This desmanine forms part of a lineage leading to Archaeodesmana elvirae and Archaeodesmana brailloni; this lineage is characterized by an increase in size and in the molarization of the upper premolars. Desmaninae are identified in all the latest Miocene and earliest Pliocene localities from the Granada Basin, evidencing the existence of permanent water bodies. On the contrary, they are not found in sites of similar age in the Guadix Basin, which would have had more arid conditions. The coincident appearance of A. cf. getica in both basins during the early Ruscinian indicates a change towards more humid conditions in the region, allowing the establishment of permanent water flows in the Guadix Basin.
Desmaninae (water-moles) are common elements in the late Miocene–Pleistocene mammal assemblages from Europe, but knowledge about this group is still scarce. Here we present the desmanines from ...several early Pliocene localities of the Granada Basin, southern Spain. The species Desmana marci, sp. nov. is described from the sites Calicasas-3 and 4A, characterized, among other traits, by its slightly molarized p4, enormous P2, strongly molarized P3 and P4, and very large metaconule in the M3. Desmana marci shows a typical Desmana i1, with the enamel extending further down anteriorly than posteriorly, but an Archaeodesmana-like I1, low-crowned and bilobed. Desmana marci is proposed as the oldest species of Desmana; its origin lies in Archaeodesmana baetica, and it is in turn interpreted as the ancestor of Desmana verestchagini. Besides, a desmanine of small size and ascribed to Archaeodesmana cf. getica is identified in Calicasas-5A and Purcal-13. This desmanine forms part of a lineage leading to Archaeodesmana elvirae and Archaeodesmana brailloni; this lineage is characterized by an increase in size and in the molarization of the upper premolars. Desmaninae are identified in all the latest Miocene and earliest Pliocene localities from the Granada Basin, evidencing the existence of permanent water bodies. On the contrary, they are not found in sites of similar age in the Guadix Basin, which would have had more arid conditions. The coincident appearance of A. cf. getica in both basins during the early Ruscinian indicates a change towards more humid conditions in the region, allowing the establishment of permanent water flows in the Guadix Basin.
During the last decade, field work carried out in the lower Eocene deposits of the Àger Basin (southern Pyrenean basins, northeast Spain) has allowed the publication of new early primate material, ...including the first identification of plesiadapiform remains in Spain (Arcius ilerdensis from Masia de l'Hereuet) and the description of two new species of adapiforms: Agerinia smithorum from Casa Retjo-1 and Agerinia marandati from Masia de l'Hereuet. However, the fossil material recovered is still scarce and fragmentary. For this reason, during the last few years prospecting has been carried out in order to find new localities with primate remains. This paper describes the results of these campaigns, reporting four new lower Eocene primate localities, in which some previously unknown elements have been recovered. More specifically, the locality of Cabana del Llúcio-1 has yielded the first I1, I2, and P1 for the genus Agerinia and the first M1 of the species A. smithorum. Moreover, a fragment of calcaneus from this site provides further information about the morphology of this bone in A. smithorum. The material from Cabana del Llúcio-1 displays some intermediate traits between A. smithorum from Casa Retjo-1 and A. marandati from Masia de l'Hereuet. These transitional features are consistent with the stratigraphic position of Cabana del Llúcio and support the previously proposed anagenetic lineage Agerinia smithorum–A. marandati–A. roselli.
During the last decade, field work carried out in the lower Eocene deposits of the Àger Basin (southern Pyrenean basins, northeast Spain) has allowed the publication of new early primate material, ...including the first identification of plesiadapiform remains in Spain (Arcius ilerdensis from Masia de l'Hereuet) and the description of two new species of adapiforms: Agerinia smithorum from Casa Retjo-1 and Agerinia marandati from Masia de l'Hereuet. However, the fossil material recovered is still scarce and fragmentary. For this reason, during the last few years prospecting has been carried out in order to find new localities with primate remains. This paper describes the results of these campaigns, reporting four new lower Eocene primate localities, in which some previously unknown elements have been recovered. More specifically, the locality of Cabana del Llúcio-1 has yielded the first I1, I2, and P1 for the genus Agerinia and the first M1 of the species A. smithorum. Moreover, a fragment of calcaneus from this site provides further information about the morphology of this bone in A. smithorum. The material from Cabana del Llúcio-1 displays some intermediate traits between A. smithorum from Casa Retjo-1 and A. marandati from Masia de l'Hereuet. These transitional features are consistent with the stratigraphic position of Cabana del Llúcio and support the previously proposed anagenetic lineage Agerinia smithorum–A. marandati–A. roselli.
The scarce primate remains from the late Eocene locality of Roc de Santa (Central Pyrenees, NE Spain) were first documented in 1975. This material included a mandibular fragment with P3-M2 and a ...maxillary fragment with P3-M3 assigned to Adapis magnus (later transferred to the genus Leptadapis), and an isolated M3 attributed to Necrolemur antiquus. However, these specimens were never described in detail. We have thoroughly studied these specimens, with the exception of the mandibular fragment, which has been lost. The maxillary fragment is much smaller than in Leptadapis magnus and shows clear morphological differences from that species; this specimen is assigned to Microchoerus hookeri. Similarly, the isolated M3 resembles that of M. hookeri in size and morphology, and can therefore be attributed to this taxon. In addition, we describe an upper incisor never reported previously, which can also be allocated to M. hookeri, representing the first description of this tooth for the species. Therefore, we conclude that the previous taxonomic determinations were mistaken and all the available primate specimens from Roc de Santa can be confidently assigned to the species M. hookeri, previously described from the same-age localities of Sossís, Spain, and Eclépens-B, Switzerland.
New material attributed to Agerinia smithorum from Casa Retjo-1 (early Eocene, NE Iberian Peninsula), consisting of 13 isolated teeth and a fragment of calcaneus, is studied in this work. These ...fossils allow the first description of the calcaneus and the upper premolars for the genus Agerinia, as well as the first description of the P2 and M2 for A. smithorum. The newly recovered lower teeth are virtually identical to the holotype of A. smithorum and are clearly distinguishable from the other species of Agerinia. The upper teeth also show clear differences with Agerinia marandati. The morphology of the calcaneal remains reveals that A. smithorum practiced a moderately active arboreal quadrupedal mode of locomotion, showing less leaping proclivity than notharctines but more than asiadapids. All the morphological features observed in the described material reinforce the hypothesis of a single lineage consisting of the species A. smithorum, A. marandati, and Agerinia roselli. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis developed in this work, which incorporates the newly described remains of A. smithorum, maintains the position of Agerinia as closely related to sivaladapids and asiadapids.
PDF
